Juba spruces up

Photo: Dhammika Perera/IRC

Juba — the town destined to be the capital of the new nation of South Sudan — is in the midst of sprucing itself up before the independence celebration on July 9. Every hotel room has been requisitioned for visiting dignitaries -- some 40 heads of state are expected. At the airport, a construction crane towers over a new building. Freshly painted lines have been added to the paved streets. But real nation-building and modernization can't be effected in a few short weeks. And the Sudanese army's incursions into contested areas threaten to unravel the South's long-awaited chance at peace...

Read the full story in the Huffington Post